Another scholar, Huang Ji, an assistant professor with Shanghai's East
China Normal University, suggested that the name 'dragon' should be replaced
by a more Chinese name, 'Loong' without actually changing the symbol.

Beijing --- A large number of Chinese academics are in the midst of a
massive debate over the nation's symbol -- the dragon -- after an influential
professor suggested that it should be dumped.

The professor's comments caused a virtual storm with groups of academics
taking up opposing stands on the proposition.

There is no word from the government on the issue although the official
Xinhua came out with a despatch late on Thursday strongly advocating that
the dragon be retained as the national symbol.

The controversy began after the Shanghai Morning Post quoted Wu Youfu,
a Communist Party secretary at the Shanghai International Studies University
and deputy president of the Shanghai Public Relations Association, as
saying that the symbol of the dragon should no more be used as it conveyed
negative sentiments like "or offensiveness"in the western world.

The mythological animal is seen as "tyrannous"and "aggressive"
in the western world and this contributed to the "China threat"
perception, the newspaper quoted Wu as saying.

He also suggested that the search for a new symbol should be taken up
to replace the dragon, the paper said.

Wu has since denied the statement saying that he had been misquoted by
the newspaper. What he had suggested is that the symbol should be modified
by adding more harmonious elements to upgrade China's image.

The denial found place in the official Xinhua late evening today obviously
because of official worries about the impact of Wu's original statement.

Another scholar, Huang Ji, an assistant professor with Shanghai's East
China Normal University, suggested that the name 'dragon' should be replaced
by a more Chinese name, 'Loong' without actually changing the symbol.